Pyrrha in Drangleic
by ShaunyRedComet
Summary: Pyrrha gave everything for the one she loved, and his memory is the only thing that keeps her human. As she wanders the land of Drangleic, Pyrrha is opposed by undead and Grimm alike. Each death she dies takes more of her precious memories; every life she takes corrupts her once-bright soul. Can Pyrrha bring light to Drangleic and find peace for her self?


the Firekeepers

"Heh heh heh, another undead has come to play..."

Three wizened old women dressed in red sat in the cramped room. The room was solid wood, carved into the very body of a living tree. It was sparsely furnished, with only a table and chairs for the occupants. At one end, opposite a door, was a mass of cobblestone formed into a crude hearth. A roaring fire lit and warmed the room.

Two of the old crones sat at the table, where a much younger-looking woman stood waiting on them. The third old woman sat by the hearth, looking over her shoulder at a fifth figure that had just come in.

This visitor was dressed in heavy, tattered robes, soaked with water. Despite the bulky clothing, it was plain to see that the visitor was a young woman, or rather, _had_ been a young woman, before death and the curse of the undead had claimed her.

"Oh dear," one of the ancient voices cackled, "your _face_!" The three hags chuckled amongst themselves as their young servant poured wine. The serving girl glanced occasionally at the visitor, her eyes full of pity.

"I imagine you were pretty once. So young...and beautiful."

"Huh. You're _finished_."

"You'll go hollow. That is the fate of the cursed."

The visitor said nothing, but shuddered. Most of what filled her heart and mind was a profound _emptiness_, an absence of clear thought or memory or feeling. But, the idea of losing even what little she had left...

The old woman closest to the visitor looked up. "Can you remember your name?" she asked with a cruel grin.

"..." the visitor struggled just to speak; if she was undead, as the crones suggested, then her death must have happened some time ago. Air struggled to find its way out of lungs that had not been used in what must have been ages; slowly, barely a whisper, the visitor spoke her name, one of the few things she now remembered.

"...Pyrrha..."

The old women chuckled again, as the one closest to Pyrrha reached into her smoke-stained sleeve. "At least, you can recall your own name. Here," she pulled a strange object out of her sleeve, "a reward for sharing."

Pyrrha reached out her hand, stunned momentarily by how desiccated and ghost-white it was. She took the object; it was a twisted shape, vaguely humanoid, formed of delicate interwoven fibers.

"It's a human effigy," explained the crone. "Take a close look, does it seem familiar?"

As she gazed at the effigy, Pyrrha could indeed see something familiar in it. Tracing the winding, spiraling fibers in the effigy with her eyes, Pyrrha saw images flash through her mind; they were unfamiliar at first, but as she studied the object the visions became more clear and distinct:

A beautiful building like a castle with an emerald light, that made her feel at home.

Different faces that smiled at her, making her loneliness fade.

And the grinning face of a young man with yellow hair, that made her feel...loved.

The rush of images—Pyrrha's _memories_—ate away at the emptiness that had filled her heart and mind. As they were restored, Pyrrha noticed that her flesh had begun to knit itself back together as well, making her whole again.

The effigy burned away, and Pyrrha cast off the tattered rags she had worn, revealing her true self to the room and its occupants. She was indeed beautiful, with red hair, pearl skin and green eyes that were both fierce and kind. She was also very young, no older than seventeen or eighteen. Pyrrha was dressed in armor of leather, scarlet, and gleaming bronze; a sturdy round shield and an odd weapon akin to a sword or spear were slung across her back.

"Oh, look at her!" one of the old women sighed.

"So lovely, so youthful. Heh heh heh."

"Such a waste."

The old woman by the fire raised a withered hand and pointed to the door across from her. "Through that door, trot along the path until you reach the kingdom."

Pyrrha looked at the door. "What kingdom?" she said, then gasped; Pyrrha realized she was breathing again, and that her heart was pounding. "What...what am I doing here?" The crones just chuckled again; Pyrrha couldn't tell if the old women were trying to taunt her or if they were genuinely surprised that she did not know anything about where she was.

"This is why they come, the ones like you. To break the curse."

"They _try_. Huh." The crones chuckled again.

"Everyone that has come this way has gone hollow. Hollows feast on the souls of men, trying in vain to hold onto their humanity."

Struggling not to let her fear show, Pyrrha slowly began to make her way towards the door. _"I'm...I'm in a nightmare..."_ she thought to herself. _"That must be it, a terrible dream that I will eventually awaken from."_ Maybe once she goes through that door...

_"I'll wake up, that's it. I'll wake up and see...him..."_ but Pyrrha could not remember exactly _who_ she would wake up to. Not his name, nothing but his image: the boy with yellow hair that smiled at her kindly, affectionately. But it was enough: Pyrrha knew she _had_ to see this boy again.

Reaching the door, Pyrrha opened it, then hesitated; nothing but blackness could be seen past its threshold. Looking back at the old women, Pyrrha could see them grinning.  
"Hold onto your souls! They're all that will keep you from going hollow!"

"Souls are the essence of who we are. Our histories, our memories, everything. Lose them, and you will lose _everything_."

"And not even death will grant you peace then. Heh heh heh."

Plucking up her courage, Pyrrha stepped over the threshold into the dark unknown.

The old women continued to laugh even after she left. "You will lose _everything_. Over, and over, again."

* * *

**I updated this chapter a bit (it's really more of a prologue, what with how short it is). I received some requests to keep going and indeed I shall: the next chapter is in progress, but I am taking time to work on some of my other projects as well. As this story is meant to be a tragic adventure I need to work on more positive stuff to keep me sane :P so be patient, more is on the way. **

**Vereor Nox, Umbasa and all that jazz :)  
**


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